It is important to contact us before you start any building work to make sure that you consider any building regulations that may apply.

We have enforcement powers to take legal action against anyone who hasn't applied for the necessary consents for their build.

If you do need building regulations approval you need to apply to us. We check your project at various stages and when it has finished, we issue a Completion Certificate to show your build complies with regulations.

Your building regulations application and completion certificate are important documents - you will need them if you are planning to sell your property in the future or remortgage it.  If you don't have the relevant paperwork you will not be able to provide solicitors or estate agents with the documents they need for the sale of your property.

Retrospective inspections of unauthorised building work

In most cases we can inspect work that has been carried out to find out if it complies with building regulations. This inspection can include opening up building works, for example digging a hole alongside the foundations or removing sections of wall and ceiling. You will be responsible for the cost of this and any remedial work that needs to be done for the building work to be approved. 

If the works are found to be satisfactory so far as can be reasonably ascertained we can issue a Certificate of Regularisation, this acts in a similar way as a Completion Certificate.

If you are buying or selling a house that has had unapproved building work done on it and you need a Regularisation Certificate, please contact us or fill in our application form.  Regularisation does not apply to works completed before 11 November 1985.